This module aims to provide you with a knowledge and understanding of the principles of computer systems, hardware components, the essence of operating systems, and relevant computing-related mathematics. This module will provide the foundational underpinning to enable you to progress deeper into the disciplines of computing and networking and a grasp of the history of computing, recent developments, and its possible future. You will gain the confidence that they can communicate with technical specialists.

In an increasingly digital world, networking and cyber security are critical foundations for information technology systems. This module introduces you to the core principles of networking alongside basic cyber security concepts, allowing you to develop the skills necessary to configure, manage, and secure networks. You will engage with hands-on learning tools such as Packet Tracer and other network simulators to build and protect simple networks, preparing them for further study and careers in IT and security.

The module introduces the concepts of web design, with a focus on designing responsive websites that are targeted at mobile platforms. You are introduced to HTML, CSS and JavaScript to provide them with an understanding of what goes into the front-end of modern websites. Using a series of case studies, you will analyse the design and layout of a range of existing sites using a number of common analysis techniques.

This module introduces you to the concepts and practice of computer programming.  It is aimed at providing you with an understanding of the fundamentals of computer programming by having them work through a range of tasks focused upon layout, structure and functionality.

This module introduces the artificial intelligence (AI) and data science fields, covering the history of the AI discipline, exploring a variety of “classical AI” and data science-related topics, and the application of Python to solve data problems. You will gain an appreciation of the application of artificial intelligence and data science systems through the completion of hands-on activities and theoretical learning. As part of this module, you will understand the key elements of Python programming and the appropriate use of a wide range of Python packages and libraries.

This module recognises that modern software engineers must acquire skills in software design, software implementation, software testing and the production of documentation suitable for end-users. It also recognises that most software production within a modern facility must adhere to design and implementation standards. The module, therefore, seeks to provide you with the opportunity to produce a complete, substantial software product that incorporates these elements. Finally, from the practitioner's perspective, the module covers advanced software engineering topics, such as critical software, secure software, formal methods, and project management. 

Database systems play a significant role in the world of Information Technology and an understanding of databases is, therefore, of fundamental importance to software engineers for the development of information systems, in general, and program persistence solutions, in particular. The principal aim of this module is to provide essential knowledge and appreciation of the role of database systems, including basic principles and practice of design, implementation and development for both system designers and software engineers. The module will seek to promote the notion of a database as a model of an enterprise through the development of database solutions to ‘real-world’ problems.

The Advanced Web Development module continues this level four module where you will learn how to develop functional, server-side web applications while advancing their understanding of front-end technologies. The module will begin by teaching you advanced concepts of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript before focusing on server-side technologies, including server-side object-oriented programming (OOPHP), web server infrastructure, and web security. Upon completion of this module, you should be able to meet the requirements for a Junior Web Developer role in industry.

The module offers a comprehensive approach to understanding and implementing security testing in the context of modern cybersecurity challenges. It combines technical penetration testing skills with understanding human factors and system thinking, ensuring that you can assess, exploit, and defend against various cyber threats. You will learn to evaluate systems from both a technical and socio-technical perspective, understanding the interplay between system components, human behaviour, and the environment.

Machine learning methods are central to artificial intelligence and data science, covering various techniques crucial for classification, analysis and prediction. This module provides a comprehensive exploration of both supervised and unsupervised learning techniques, along with an introduction to the basics of deep learning. As a rapidly evolving and highly influential discipline, machine learning is pivotal in driving innovations across various industries. The curriculum is designed to equip you with a thorough understanding of these foundational techniques, enabling them to apply advanced machine-learning methods to solve complex practical problems. Through this course, you will gain theoretical insights and practical skills essential for future studies and careers in data science and AI.

This module seeks to develop the student’s knowledge, understanding and programming abilities regarding data structures and algorithms, which are fundamental to building software. It also allows you to learn and program in other programming paradigms.

The module provides the opportunity for you to apply and develop some of the knowledge and skills acquired in their degree by engaging in a significant project in a specialist area of computing, typically software or networks. It will enable and require you to utilise practical, intellectual and decision-making skills in novel situations and develop their autonomy and self-direction. 

This module aims to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the principles and practices involved in designing and managing information systems. By integrating theoretical knowledge with practical applications, you will learn how to develop systems that support decision-making, enhance operational efficiency, and drive innovation across various sectors. Key areas covered include database management, systems analysis and design, data analytics, and information security. You will explore the latest technologies and methodologies used in the field, including cloud computing, big data, and artificial intelligence. Through hands-on projects and case studies, they will gain the skills needed to address real-world challenges and contribute to the development of robust and scalable information systems.

This module provides an opportunity to explore several areas of artificial intelligence and data science in greater depth. This will include understanding the domain theory and intuition behind different algorithms, typical problems faced in the domain and how these might be solved.

The module is intended to provide you with an understanding of development for mobile devices with a focus on the constraints of mobile hardware, including interface and networking. You will learn to integrate input from hardware sensors and work with networked data and services.

This module explores the interconnected world of modern computing. For web developers, this means understanding how to build scalable web applications that leverage cloud infrastructure for high availability and performance, such as the architecture behind Netflix’s global streaming service. Students interested in Cybersecurity will delve into securing distributed systems, ensuring data integrity, and protecting against distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, with case studies like the defence mechanisms used by major financial institutions against fraud. Students interested in data science and AI will learn ways to harness the power of distributed computing for large-scale data processing and machine learning, enabling advanced analytics and AI applications, as exemplified by the data processing frameworks companies like Google and Facebook use. The module provides the foundational knowledge and practical skills to design, implement, and manage complex distributed systems in various application areas.

In the current landscape, where cyber-physical systems are integral to critical infrastructure and industrial processes, security by design has become paramount. This module serves as the technical capstone for the degree, emphasizing the importance of secure software development, cryptography, and domain-specific threat mitigation in cyber-physical systems. This module is the technical capstone for the degree building upon elements introduced in earlier modules, addressing cyber security in depth across multiple domains.

Cyber-attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, frequent, and diverse. Hostile actors relentlessly exploit vulnerabilities, often to cause severe damage to organisations. To defend against these threats, organisations need a multi-layered security strategy that includes robust monitoring, proactive detection, and effective incident management. While intrusion detection and prevention systems can help mitigate threats, the reality is that some attacks will succeed. This module equips students with the skills to respond to such incidents, manage them effectively, and undertake thorough cyber forensics investigations to collect evidence and prevent future attacks.

With the growth of the Internet and the development of commercial technologies, there has been an explosion in criminal activity targeting those technologies. However, nefarious activity on the Internet is not only targeted at monetary gain. Prefixed by ‘cyber’ in the popular mind are cybercrime, cyber-espionage, cyber-terrorism, cyber-bullying, etc., and the parallel term of hacktivism. Following the ancient military maxim of ‘know your enemy’, to understand how best to protect online assets, the security professional must be conversant with the threats posed to those assets and the mindset of their assailant. At the same time, it is a central cause of concern for any entity that wishes to establish a secure and trustworthy Internet presence to understand its principles and how to effect it. This module covers both attack and defence elements, leading to a comprehensive understanding of cyber-security.

A sufficiency of inexpensive computing power, sufficiently large datasets and a number of key theoretical advances created deep learning techniques which have facilitated a wave of accuracy increases across many computational tasks (computer vision, natural language processing, speech recognition, autonomous driving, etc.), making many applications practical. Deep learning is central to modern artificial intelligence. This module explains the underlying mathematics and techniques and how to use them to achieve similar feats of computational accuracy.